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Curated Questions

Celebrating The Power Of Questions

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#74 Elia Park Robertson: How Questions Can Save A Fractured Democracy

"Lean into courage and see what happens." - Eila Park Robertson

"Lean into courage and see what happens." - Elia Park Robertson

Former ABC News journalist, award‑winning filmmaker, and crisis communications strategist Eila Park Robertson joins Curated Questions to explore what happens “when listening saves democracy.”

Drawing from a childhood navigating violence, immigration, and loneliness, Eila shares how asking genuine questions became her superpower for building trust with people who would never normally talk to the media. She explains why Western culture has forgotten how to listen, how that loss feeds polarization, and what it really takes to build bridges across political and ideological divides, starting with presence, curiosity, and courage.

Eila and Ken dive into introverts as secret leaders of the room, why outrage‑only politics is burning us out, and how personal relationships can transform deeply held beliefs. They also explore climate storytelling, South Korea’s fight against authoritarianism, and practical ways to resist despair and rebuild community in an age of fractured attention.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Curated Questions Dispatch newsletter for more fun with questions and curiosity! (https://substack.com/@curatedquestions)

Keep questioning!

Episode Notes

00:00 Welcome to Curated Questions

02:11 Meet Eila Park Robertson

03:29 First Power of Questions

05:12 Journalism Dreams and Role Models

06:37 Inside ABC Interview Prep

08:05 Diane Versus Barbara Styles

09:15 Trust Over Perfect Questions

11:07 Breaking Barriers and Generations

14:12 Setting Tone and Presence

15:23 We Forgot How to Listen

16:19 Childhood Roots of Listening

17:38 Earning Trust Under Deadline

19:30 Building Intuition in Conversation

20:10 Silence as Interview Tool

22:03 Creating Space With Pauses

24:35 Nuance in Divisive Times

29:25 Bridge Building With Family

30:30 Introverts Lead the Room

35:49 Empaths and Surprise Questions

38:44 Jane Goodall and Curiosity

43:36 Climate Messaging That Lands

49:04 Attention Economy and Algorithms

50:57 Long Form Is Coming Back

53:38 Right Wing Pulse

54:39 Conservative To Progressive

55:50 Inclusion Blind Spots

56:30 Relationships Spark Change

57:59 George Floyd Awakening

58:51 Seeing Unequal Freedom

59:53 Courage To Burn It

01:00:19 Family Secret Domino

01:02:20 Why Korea Matters

01:04:07 Martial Law Stopped

01:06:13 Democracy Is Fragile

01:07:12 We Are Korean Mindset

01:08:52 Building We Are American

01:12:17 Hope Through Activation

01:16:11 Staying Out Of Despair

01:18:33 Rebuilding Community IRL

01:22:29 Comms Against Dehumanization

01:26:33 Empathy Versus Fear

01:30:03 Home Exchange Idea

01:31:37 Relationships Change Hearts

01:33:35 Right Now Question Courage

01:35:18 Where To Find Me

Resources Mentioned

ABC News

Anecdotia

Vogue Magazine Wedding Article

Diane Sawyers

Barbara Walters

Muammar Gaddafi

Mel Gibson

Ziwe Fumudoh

Dr. Jane Goodall

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

Azzedine Downes, CEO IFAW

United Nations

Kelly Boesch

Eila on Instagram (@eila2.2)

Producer Ben Ford

Beauty Pill

categories: Community, Community Service, Social Impact, Connection, Leadership, Listening, Mental Wellness, Personal Growth, Equity, Imagination, Journalism, Politics, Strategy
Thursday 03.12.26
Posted by Kenneth Woodward
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